Stocking supporter



Aug. 5, 19240 J. ROUPP STOCKING SUPPORTER Filed Feb. 4 1924 Patented Aug. 5, 1224.

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4 Joan notiis'rQor Ramon, Kansas.

STOCKING surronrn'nl Application filed lifeb'ruary l, 1924. Serial No. 690,527.

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Be it known that I, JOHEN Ro-UPP, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Hesston, in the county of Harvey and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stocking Supporters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stocking supporters and has for its object the provision ofa simple and inexpensive device intended more particularly for use in supporting infants stockings and adapted to be engaged with a body garment of the infant whereby to avoid theuse of safety pins and extensive mutilation of the garment. The invention also seeks to provide a device for the stated purpose which may be easily manipulated to be engaged with or released fromthe body garment and which, when in use, will not cause the infant any discomfort. The

stated objects, and other objects which will incidentally hereinafter appear, are attained 1n such a devlce as is lllustrated 1n theaccompanylng draw1ng,,- and the invention re- .sides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims. 1 1 j v In the drawing: V r I Figure 1 is a rear elevation of my improved stocking supporter;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation, and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on the line 55 of Fig. 4:.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a clasp consisting of two jaw members 1 and 2 pivotally connected by a pin 3 inserted therethrough between their ends and provided upon opposed edges with teeth 4 adapted to clasp a fold produced in a body garment, as indicated at 5. As shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 4:, the side portions of the clamping jaws are concave so that they may be easily engaged by the fingers for manipulation, and, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, the teeth are disposed on lines which diverge inwardly from the end of the clamp toward the pivot thereof so that, when the clamp is not in use, an open space, indicated at 6, will be left between the teeth at the inner ends of the toothed edges of the jaws. This arrangement permits all the teeth to engage the fold of a garment with the same force so that the outer teeth will not cut; through the fabric of the garment and injure the same while the inner teeth would barely engage the fabric. Each jaw is boxlike inform and includes a web 7 along the edge of which the teeth are formed, a parallel web 8 and a web 9 connecting the webs 7 and 8. As shown in Fig. 3, the webs 8 are of such width that, when the jaws are in clasping relation, the side web ofthc jaw 2 will pass within the jaw 1 and :the-edge of saidside web 8 will abut the web 9, thereby limiting the closing movement of the jaws so as to further avoid excessive mutilation of the garment engaged by the clasp.

The pivot 3 is inserted through the overlapping webs 8 and at the .opposite side of the clamp the web 7 of the aw 1 isextended transversely beyond the line of the teeth, .as shown at 10, so as to provide a portion through which the pivot may be engaged; For a similar purpose, the web 7 of the j aw 2 is slightly offset inwardly, as shown most clearly at 11 in Fig. 5, so that the portion of the web below the offset willpass to the inner side of the corresponding web of the jaw 1 and furnish a bearing for the pivot pin. A

spring 12 ,is coiled around the pivot 3 and hasits extremities13 arranged in divergent relation so "as to bear against theinner surfaces of the opposed jaws and thereby tend to hold the gripping ends of the jaws in clamping relation, it being understood, of course, that the divergent extremities. of the spring engage the jaws below the pivot, assuming the device to be arranged in the upright position shown in Fig. 1.

To support the spring 12 and prevent binding contact between its coils, a sleeve or barrel 14 may be disposed around the pivot within the coils of the spring, as shown clearly in Fig. 5.

That end of the pivot 3 which is disposed at the rear of the device, or that side nearer the wearer, is extended somewhat beyond the plane of the adjacent jaw so as to be engaged by a loop or eye 15 at the upper end of the stocking clasp 16 which may be of any preferred construction and is illustrated as em- 1 bodying a well-known construction wherein an elongated loop is engaged over a headed stud carried by a more or less elastic webbing or strap. The parallel webs of the jaws are also connected at their ends by transverse 10 webs 19, the webs at the inner. ends of the jaws being disposed one at the inner side of the other, as shown in Fig. 5, while at the outer or working ends of the jaws, the webs terminate short of the center of the clasp so as to provide an opening 18 which will accommodate the fold of the garment, thereby preventing excessive squeezing and possible cutting of the fabric of the garment.

The use of the device will, it is thought, be readily understood. The, stocking clasp is engaged with the fabric of the stocking in the usual well-known manner and the loop 15 thereof is engaged over the end of the pivot 3 and retainedthereon by the head 17 on said pivot. The stocking clasp isintended to remain engaged with the garment clasp and it is, therefore, desirable that the loop 15 fit closely between the head 17 and the side of the garment clasp. After the stocking has been engaged by the stocking clasp, a

fold is formed in the body garment and pressure is exerted by the thumb and fingers upon opposite sides of the clasp so that the toothed jaws thereof will be spread apart and may be engaged over the fold in the garment, whereupon, if the pressure upon the inner or lower ends of the jaws be relaxed, the spring 12 will at once cause the toothed ends of the jaws to engage the garment fold.

'My device is exceedingly simple and may be expeditiously produced at a low cost in a metal stamping machine. It may be Very easily engaged with or released from a garment and when engaged will be effectually held thereto so as to positively support the stocking. By the use of my device,

safety pins are rendered unnecessary and pricking of the infant is accordingly eliminated. The structure of the clasp is such that, if properly proportioned, the teeth will not cut through the garment but will merely engagethe same so as to bind thereon without injuring the fabric but thehold upon the garment will be sufliciently strong to prevent accidental release of the device.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A device for the purpose set forth comprising mating jaws adapted to clasp a garment, a pivot pin connecting the jaws between the ends thereof, means housed between the jaws for yieldably holding the working ends thereof toward each other'in engagement with a garment, and means on one end of the pivot pin for carrying a stocking supporter.

2. A device for the purpose set forth comprising jaws including parallel webs and side webs connecting the outer edges of the parallel webs of each jaw, and a pivot pin'extended through the parallel webs, said webs at one side of the device being in overlapping relation with the inner web adapted to abut the side web of theopposedjaw whereby to limit the engaging movement of the same.

3. A device for the purpose set forth com prising a'pair of mating jaws to clasp a garment, each having parallel webs anda side Web connecting the outer edges of the parallel webs, the parallel transverse webs at one side being provided with mating teeth on their opposed edges, and webs partly closing the outer ends of the jaws, means for holding the jaws in engagement with a garment, and means carried by the jaws for support ing a stocking. V

In testimony whereof I affix. my signature.

JOHN noUPP; L. a 

